Miscarriage Symptoms: Signs of a Miscarriage

Miscarriage is a spontaneous and natural ending of a pregnancy before the baby is 20-22 weeks old (Gestational age). Miscarriages are more common that people normally think. Often times the "miscarriage" will be nothing but the placenta and there will be no fetus in the aborted sac this is known as a blighted ovum. Often this occurs before a woman ever knows that she has been pregnant. There are several causes of miscarriages, or spontaneous abortion as it is otherwise called, and one of the main signs of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding, this can happen with or without cramps.

What Causes a Miscarriage?
There are times when the cause of a miscarriage is not possible to determine. Sometimes the problems are due to unknown problems with the mother such as Chromosomal disorders (which increase as the mother gets older), other times it is caused by infectious diseases such as parvovirus B19, rubella, herpes simplex, and cytomegalovirus as well as severe cases of Malaria. Some of the diseases are diabetes (which usually can be controlled during pregnancy), hormonal problems such as thyroid problems or Pollycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Another set of causes come from collagen vascular diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. There are blood tests that can used to determine the presence of these conditions.

Abnormal anatomy in the uterus is a further reason for miscarriages. A couple of these abnormalities would be a tissue bridge or a septum dividing the uterus into sections, it would not be possible for an embryo to implant in this septum and there would be a greater possibility of miscarriage in this case. In addition, a tipped uterus (where the uterus is tipped to either side or towards the front), has a higher risk of miscarriage because the embryo would implant very low in the uterus.

Signs and symptoms of a miscarriage
There are several signs of a miscarriage. Some of these are not always a sign of miscarriage spotting and vaginal bleeding for example can also be a normal occurrence during pregnancy in some women, however if these should happen a woman should talk to her doctor about it. The doctor should then examine the woman or at least make note of it. Should these signs continue and heavier bleeding than normal take place (especially if it is very early in the pregnancy) then miscarriage might very well be taking place.

1. A woman and her doctor should especially beware of bleeding that includes blood clots or tissue; this is a sure sign of a miscarriage.
2. If a woman finds she has passed fetal tissue she needs to place it in a clean bowl or container if at all possible and take it to her doctor for him to examine further to find out any possible reason for the miscarriage (fetal developmental problems).
3. Other definite signs would include weight-loss, white- pink discharge, cramping or painful contractions anywhere from five to twenty minutes.
4. Decreased breast tenderness, and other signs of pregnancy such as morning sickness, loss of a fetal heartbeat and a sudden lack of fetal movement are also few other symptoms giving good indications of the miscarriage. It should also be noted that cramping (abdominal or in the lower back) is not always present during a miscarriage and it may vary in its severity (mild, moderate or severe).

Treatment for miscarriage
If the miscarriage happens in the early stages of pregnancy and upon examination the doctor finds that no remains of the pregnancy are present then the woman may be observed by the doctor for a few days, but that may be all that is necessary. This is known as a complete (natural, not intended) abortion and is nothing to worry about. However, if a doctor upon examination finds that there is tissue or partial remains of the placenta, then a procedure known as a D& C would be carried out. This is a surgical procedure that simply removes the remains of the pregnancy to prevent further infection in the uterus.

Further tests- a miscarriage in the first trimester is not often a cause of concern, there are many possible reasons for this, most of which are not caused by the mother nor a cause of concern for the mother’s health. Most of these are quite probably chromosomal in nature and nothing to worry about. However, should a miscarriage take place after the first trimester of pregnancy, the doctor will perform any one or more of several tests to learn more about the cause of the miscarriage.

Some of these tests are:
1. Blood tests are done in order to look for disorders whether they be hormonal (thyroid etc), immune system disorders or chromosomal in nature.
2. Transvaginal Ultrasound- This is used to look for any deformities in the reproductive area.
3. MRI used after other test to confirm the results of the structure of the reproductive area.

These are just some of the possible tests that are taken to investigate the reproductive health of a woman who has had a late term miscarriage. It should be noted that one, or even two, early trimester.

Miscarriages are nothing to worry about. It is still possible for a woman to give birth even after two successive miscarriages. However, after three miscarriages a doctor will take a closer look and see if there is a more significant problem causing multiple miscarriages.